Posted on 03/18/2004 5:48:48 PM PST by vannrox
VICTORIAN prisoners have been watching new release video movies months before the films were publicly released.
Inmates have enjoyed this taxpayer-funded privilege for at least six years.
It ended this week after the Herald Sun alerted authorities to the perk.
Some of the new-release videos seen by prisoners feature graphic violence and nudity.
Corrections Victoria hired the videos and piped them through to cells.
Roadshow Films delivers at least five videos a week to Port Phillip Prison, the Melbourne Assessment Prison and the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Corrections Minister Andre Haermeyer immediately banned the privilege after the Herald Sun told him about it.
"The decision taken to provide the new-release videos was one taken by the distributor," a spokesman for Mr Haermeyer said yesterday.
"This does not sit comfortably with the minister and would not sit comfortably with the community.
"The minister has informed Corrections Victoria that this practice is to cease."
Before being contacted by the Herald Sun, neither Correctional Services Commissioner Kelvin Anderson nor Mr Haermeyer was aware prisoners had access to new movies before they were publicly released on video.
Evidence of the special treatment of prisoners emerged recently during the Jaidyn Leskie inquest.
Greg Domaszewicz was charged and acquitted over the Leskie murder.
One of four prisoners to claim Mr Domaszewicz admitted in jail to killing the Moe toddler said he was told about the alleged confession in January 1998.
He said it was a few days after he watched the movie Event Horizon at what was then the Melbourne Remand Centre, now the Melbourne Assessment Prison.
Police initially doubted the prisoner could have seen the movie in January after discovering Event Horizon wasn't released to the public until March 1998.
"When I investigated further I was told by a Mr Mackenzie from Roadshow that the prisons had a deal where they'd get early access to movies," Senior-Constable John Gibson told the inquest.
"He confirmed that Event Horizon, along with nine other films, was dispatched to the remand centre on January 12, 1998."
Event Horizon stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill and is described in movie guides as a horror, science fiction, fantasy movie.
It was R-rated in the US and carries an M-15 rating in Australia.
Movieweb.com lists Event Horizon as containing strong violence and gore, strong language and some nudity.
Scenes in it include maggots crawling out of a naked woman's body, blood-covered men and women bound in barbed wire and giant drill bits being screwed into a struggling man.
Film reviewer Walter Frith said: "Don't see this one if you feel faint at the sight of blood and it is not recommended for anyone who's ever covered their eyes during a movie."
Roadshow general manager Paul Mackenzie said the company had a contract with some prisons in Victoria to provide videos.
He said not every film provided was a new release, but some were supplied to prisons before being publicly available.
"And they have been for years," Mr Mackenzie said.
He confirmed Event Horizon was shown to prisoners before it was publicly released, but refused to reveal which other new release videos have been delivered to prisons.
A spokesman for Commissioner Anderson said the department had not asked Roadshow to provide new-release videos and did not pay extra for the service.
"We pay about $30 a week to hire the videos. We don't have a choice in which individual titles they choose to send," he said.
"But we have made it clear they have to be assessed for suitability for our environment, that is, no adult material, and it has to fit within our requirements for prisoner viewing."
The spokesman defended the showing of graphic violence and nudity in such movies as Event Horizon.
"We don't show R or X-rated films, but do allow M-15," he said.
"These days they can see the same stuff on the midday movie on free-to-air television."
Herald Sun
I think M-16 would be more appropriate directed at the prison populuation.
even the 50 people who saw it didn't "get" it.
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